One or more embodiments of the invention generally relate to illuminated gemstones. More particularly, certain embodiments of the invention relate to methods and apparatus for fabricating transflective gemstones and LED.
The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon. Gemstones, by nature, synthetic or imitated, precious, semi-precious stones, cut glass crystals are integrated onto a variety of substrates, for example, apparels, shoes, jewelries, bags, and other accessories to enhance the beauty of these substrates with their color and sparkling beauty. Gemstones/crystals can refract light for sparkling beauty reason but do not have light source and cannot control the light to provide indication, text, images and video to communicate based on many factors such as where, when, why, how and what light color. For example, the gemstones LED combined with a CPU and GPS can light up the gemstone to show a person is within a specific location, or combined a CPU and clock to show alarm clock ringing or combined with phone to show incoming call alert. The following is an example of a specific aspect in the prior art that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon. By way of educational background, another aspect of the prior art generally useful to be aware of is that typical gemstone/crystal and LED combination lighting devices known today appear to exhibit the visual aspects of the LED when switched-ON and expose the internal circuitry when switched-OFF. In applications where visual aspect is important in switched-ON and switched-OFF states, the exposure of the internal circuitry when viewed in close-up may be considered non-aesthetic, for example, in wearable smart jewelry, apparels, and mobile computing devices. Further, it is believed that methods to conceal object with metallic light reflection while providing controllable means for exposing objects are known to use transparent one-way mirror coating, i.e., a transflector. The transparent one-way mirror coating may allow light penetration and is typically used to cover LCD display. However, opaque mirror layer commonly known as “foiling” in cut glass crystal doesn't not allow light transmission behind the foiling. To allow light transmission holes may be opened in the foiling or an opaque mirror may be used in the cavity to conceal light source. Imitated gemstone of cut glass crystal typically employed opaque mirror coating a.k.a. “foiling” at the back to enhance ambient light reflection. The coating/foiling may however not allow LED light to shine from the back of the crystal without specific openings made in the foiling as mentioned herein above. Further, integrating LED onto pointed back crystal that mimics the diamond shape set within flexible metal cup chain still appears to be a challenge in the industry and most substrates for mounting the crystals are soft, flexible, bendable leathers, fabrics or fixed curved metal.
In view of the foregoing, it is clear that these traditional techniques are not perfect and leave room for more optimal approaches.